The burned high-rise building in Zlín could be roughly demolished by the end of the week

Zlín – By the end of this week, the remaining part of the burned high-rise building in Zlín could be roughly demolished. Work is progressing according to plan, said Marcel Schmidt, the director of marketing and communication at Cream, to ČTK today. The building, which has 11 above-ground floors, is owned by the company and was its headquarters. Building 34 in the former Baťa factory area was engulfed by a fire on July 9, which also caused it to collapse on the north and west sides. The demolition of the structure began on August 7.

"Demolition work is proceeding according to plan. Unless something unexpected happens, the wreck could be roughly demolished by the end of the week," Schmidt stated. Only about a quarter of the remaining eastern wing of the building still stands. Today is a control day, when the progress will be evaluated by the demolition company, a structural engineer, and representatives from Cream, and further actions may be specified.

The main part of the demolition is being carried out by a hundred-ton demolition excavator with hydraulic shears, which is dismantling the destroyed building from the top down. The demolition company Build Synergy, which is handling the work, has allocated 25 working days for the removal of the structure. It is estimated that 140,000 tons of rubble will need to be sorted and removed from the site. Last week, the safety perimeter on the southern side of the building was reduced due to the progress of the demolition work. The evacuation of surrounding buildings in case wind speeds exceed 40 kilometers per hour has also ceased. In the event of exceeding wind speed, demolition work is only paused.

Firefighters fought the blaze for nearly two weeks. They announced the fire was fully extinguished on Wednesday, July 22, and the building was handed over to Cream on Monday, July 27. A few days earlier, the building authority decided on the immediate removal of the structure. The entire structure, including the rubble, must be removed by its owner by December 15. The authority has set a deadline of six weeks for the demolition of parts of the building that threaten health and life.

The fire most likely started on the ninth floor in a shoe storage rented by the company Vasky. From there, it spread to other floors and the roof. The building mainly housed warehouses and offices. After the building collapsed in two places, approximately half of it remained standing before the demolition began.

Investigators, in collaboration with fire service investigators, are determining the cause of the fire, which fortunately resulted in no injuries. According to police, this investigation will take several months. The amount of damage is not yet known. The police are investigating the incident due to suspicions of causing a general threat through negligence. The potential perpetrator could face up to five years in prison for this.